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The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
Mollari suffers a heart attack and falls into a surreal dream, where he must face his greatest fear in order to survive. Lennier decides to leave Delenn's service and return to Minbar. Cast Regular *Bruce Boxleitner as President John Sheridan *Jerry Doyle as Michael Garibaldi *Mira Furlan as Ambassador Delenn *Richard Biggs as Dr. Stephen Franklin *Bill Mumy as Lennier *Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley *Stephen Furst as Vir Cotto *Jeff Conaway as Security Chief Zack Allan *Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander *Peter Jurasik as Ambassador Londo Mollari *Andreas Katsulas as Ambassador G'Kar Guest Starring *Ross Kettle as Ruell Co-Starring *Akiko Ann Morison as Med Tech Cast Notes *Regular characters who appear in this episode are John Sheridan, Michael Garibaldi, Delenn, Stephen Franklin, Lennier, Vir Cotto, Zack Allan, Londo Mollari and G'Kar. *Lochley and Lyta Alexander do not appear in this episode. Summary Introduction Delenn is awoken by a message from Minbar. It is Ruell, a member of the Minbari bureaucracy who asks, due to a message she sent, if there has been a problem and would like a replacement assistant sent as quickly as possible. Delenn is confused. She has sent no message and demanded no replacement. She then learns that Lennier has made arrangements to return to Minbar in her name. His return is indefinite. Meanwhile, Londo Mollari yells at Zack Allan in a cargo-bay for holding up a shipment of bottles of Brivari. Vir Cotto tries to talk Mollari down, to no avail. Allan declares that there has been an infestation recently, so there will have to be a three-day impound on the beverage. Mollari is outraged, pointing out that Brivari has such a delicate flavor it will be ruined if not immediately stored in proper temperature. Cotto persuades his superior to let him handle it, but while he tries to reason with Allan, Mollari sneaks a drink from one of the bottles, but then something is wrong – he drops the bottle and falls to the floor. Cotto and Allan rush to his side, Allan calling Medlab on his link... Act I Mollari is rushed to Medlab on a gurney, Cotto following. Doctor Franklin meets them and hurriedly asks Cotto about the circumstances of Mollari's poisoning. The bottle was marked for him and security has taken the bottles for chemical analysis. Franklin rushes to Mollari, helping the other medical staff stabilize the ambassador. Cotto looks on, afraid. Lennier arrives in Delenn's quarters, delivering her schedule. She interrupts by asking when he was going to tell her of his departure, then demanding a reason for his leaving. Lennier no longer feels needed in Delenn's life, stating that Sheridan is now her other half and he is simply in the way, blaming neither of them. He has decided to join the Rangers. The loss of Marcus Cole has filled him with a need to join the Anla'Shok. At the Zócalo, Michael Garibaldi informs Cotto that Mollari is in critical condition. Cotto starts to cause a scene, but Garibaldi calmly assures him that it was not poison after all. It was a heart attack (specifically his left). In MedLab, Franklin tells Sheridan that, in Centauri, the left heart cleanses the blood and, because of its structure, is very hard to operate on. Franklin is concerned that if Mollari does not revive in the next twenty-four hours, he may not survive at all. Act II In Medlab, Delenn watches over Mollari. Sheridan arrives, asking if there have been any changes. There have not. Sheridan and Delenn both remark that this is the most quiet Mollari has ever been. In spite of herself, Delenn feels saddened at his weakness. Sheridan brings up Lennier, but Delenn says that Lennier must go his own way. Sheridan and Delenn then leave to sleep, Delenn wishing the still-unconscious Mollari luck. In Mollari's mind, he dreams of wandering through Brown Sector as he hears Delenn's words and searches for her. He finds a veiled woman at a table who sounds like Delenn and sits with her. She reads his past in tarot cards. The deck of cards begins to bleed, the woman telling him that he is dying. Mollari remarks that it might be better this way, remembering the vision of himself and G'Kar strangling each other on Centauri Prime in the future, and thinking of the fact that no one back home would care if he lived or died. The woman asks again: does he want to live. Mollari says yes, but she tells him it is not enough. She gives him a bloodied card and tells him that a word will save him, but does not reveal what that word is. Mollari sees a pulsating red grate and opens it, revealing a red material inside that beats like a heart. He finds himself alone, with another figure waiting for him. Act III In the Zócalo, Lennier and Cotto meet, Cotto commenting on how neither of them can sleep. They discuss what Vir is drinking: what the Earthers call a Shirley Temple, confusing the drink with a non-existent temple. Cotto says goodbye to Lennier, each wishing the other a safe journey and hugging. Cotto wanders through the Zócalo and corridors of Babylon 5 alone. Mollari, in his dream-world, moves through the station as well, now in Red Sector. He finds the Zócalo empty with empty bottles at the bar and sardonically comments on the obvious symbolism. He talks to Sheridan (dressed in his old Earthforce uniform) about being dead. Sheridan says he was not dead long, but he does not have a taste for it. Mollari tells the story of his first wife, the dancer, and how he was dead to his family when he told them about her. How dead he felt inside when he had to leave her. He laments at the empty bottles at the bar. Sheridan (now only in the white shirt beneath the Earthforce jacket) and Mollari walk through the empty Zócalo, Mollari noting Sheridan's twenty-year limit. Sheridan (in the black Minbari Rebirth uniform) says it's about what he does with that time. Mollari laments that he has wasted his time. Sheridan (in the Ranger One robes) answers that Mollari merely has to turn around if he wants to live. Mollari is afraid, knowing without turning around that G'Kar is behind him. Sheridan (now in a white, hooded robe) leaves Mollari, turning into an orb of light. In Medlab, Mollari deteriorates. Franklin decides to shock his system to try to stabilize him. It causes Mollari pain, but keeps him alive. His condition is still worsening. Franklin sits beside Mollari's bed and waits. Cotto joins him in what he calls the death watch. In his dream, Mollari begs to the Great Maker. He does not want to die. Cotto joins him, stating that he is afraid. Mollari says he does not have any choice in the matter, his vital signs weakening. Alarms go off in Medlab. Mollari still refuses to turn around. G'Kar waits. Mollari still fears his dream. In Medlab, Mollari begins to seize. Franklin calls the staff for help as Cotto watches anxiously through a window. In the dream, Cotto tells Mollari he would miss him if he dies. Mollari admits he would miss himself as well, and finally turns around to face G'Kar. To Cotto's surprise G'Kar enters MedLab, looking on without comment as Mollari convulses on the bed. In the dream, G'Kar speaks, telling Mollari that it is time. Now, they end this. Act IV Mollari is dying in the Medlab. In Mollari's dream, G'Kar confronts him in the Emperor's throne room on Centauri Prime, telling him that he fears power. Mollari remembers the invasion of the Narn Homeworld. G'Kar confronts Mollari about the invasion and how he stood by and said nothing. Mollari turns to G'Kar and finds himself in the room where G'Kar was tortured by electro-whip. There too, G'Kar points out, Mollari said nothing. Only one word is required for Mollari to live. Mollari sees himself chained to a whipping post now, G'Kar (dressed as Cartagia) watching as he is tortured by electro-whip. In Medlab, Franklin desperately tries to save Mollari. Mollari, in the dream, cries out at the thirty-ninth stroke as G'Kar had done. Mollari cries that he does not want to die. G'Kar laughs at him, telling Mollari that he is not sorry for what he did, he is sorry for getting caught. G'Kar demands the word. Mollari says he has never apologized in his life. Mollari sees the pulsing red material in the floor again, covered in glass. Mollari pounds on it, shouting that he is sorry, and the glass shatters. His heart stabilizes. Mollari awakens to find G'Kar at the window alongside Cotto watching him. He tearfully says to the Narn that he is sorry. G'Kar smiles and leaves. Cotto looks at Mollari in shock. Act V In Medlab afterwards, Mollari is in good spirits again, sitting up in his bed and complaining to a visiting Cotto about the hospital food. Cotto tells Mollari that he will have to follow Dr. Franklin's orders to improve his diet and avoid stress if he wishes to fully recover. Mollari switches the subject and discusses with Cotto on certain Centauri legends he has been been reading about lately. Cotto, who has also heard the stories, tells about how a great and noble spirit trapped in the body of a monster can attempt to cause the death of that body in order to escape. Cotto quickly adds that if the person subjected to the spirit's trial manages to survive, the experience may change him forever, at least according to the folklore. Mollari ponders the implications. Lennier leaves the station without informing Delenn, but she catches up anyway. He insists it is not goodbye, that he could never say goodbye. He is Delenn's forever; heart, body, and soul. He hopes to come back a better person, but Delenn tells him that it is impossible, calling him a dear friend. Lennier departs. Sheridan joins Delenn and they depart together. Lennier's shuttle leaves the station to one of the White Star''s. Memorable quotes DVD release This episode, along with the other episodes from season five, has been released on DVD with extensive special features. External links * * The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari at the '''Internet Movie Database' Category:Babylon 5 episodes Category:Babylon 5 Season 5 episodes